This invention pertains to restraint/release mechanisms used in the air drop of military cargo from flying airplanes.
The current container delivery systems used to air drop cargo from flying airplanes employ plywood skidboards to which the cargo bundle is secured. The skidboard interfaces with a cargo roller system installed in the aircraft floor. The cargo airplane making the drop is put into a nose-up attitude as the aircraft approaches the drop point. The cargo restraint is released allowing the cargo load to roll out the open door and air drop to the ground. The restraint for the cargo containers in the aft direction is provided by a release gate constructed from Type XXVI nylon webbing. Presently, the release of the containers at the drop zone is accomplished by cutting the webbing at the proper point in the drop zone. A guillotine knife actuated by a cable suspended from the aircraft overhead structure and actuated by a cable winch is used to cut the webbing. At the drop point, the cable is reeled in, cutting the nylon webbing at the release gate which allows the containers to roll aft and out of the aircraft. The action is initiated by the co-pilot pressing a switch provided by an umbilical running to the retriever winch. The load master located in the cargo compartment stands at ready to put a downward force on the winch cable if the winch malfunctions.
The current system is awkward, inefficient, and sometimes hazardous. Feeding the winch cable to the guillotine strap cutter is time-consuming and awkward. The release process destroys the aft restraint as the webbing strap is cut into two pieces. Further, the entire load of containers must be dropped in two releases as only two winches exist. More than two releases necessitates a re-rigging between drops.
It is an important object of the present invention to replace the knife-actuated strap cutter of the current art with a release mechanism which may be either remotely operated or manually operated at the device, attaches to the floor, is easily installed, does not cut, rupture or fracture any part of the retention/release system, has no loose pieces and is reuseable as is, without the addition of any new parts.